Gabriel Castaño - Pink Bourbon

MEET THE PRODUCER | In the early 90's, not long after Colombia opened its doors to international trade, many Colombian coffee farmers struggled to keep their farms and families afloat as they found themselves at the mercy of coffee's commodity index on the NY Stock Exchange. Gabriel Castaño is one of many such farmers who lived through those unstable times, and like many in his industry, he shifted his efforts to coca production for several years as a means of survival.
In the mid-aughts, Gabriel was finally able to return to coffee production and became a picker on one of his sons-in-law's farms. It was there that he discovered a coffee cherry whose color he "really liked" and which seemed to be resistant to leaf rust, very unlike the Caturra trees which he had historically cultivated. He swiftly purchased some seed from his son-in-law and began planting this mystery crop on his own farm - and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Gabriel is hailed as the "godfather of Pink Bourbon" in Huila, and he generously shares both his seed and his expertise with many of his peers in the region, as well as his five living children - all of whom have staked their claim in the family business.
TRUST THE PROCESS | This coffee was hand-picked at peak ripeness before making its way to sealed plastic tanks, where it underwent 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation. Then, it was pulped and placed in GrainPro bags for an additional 18 hours to promote further lactic acid production. Finally, the cherries were washed and laid out to sun-dry on raised beds until 10.5% moisture content was achieved.